Instead of pledging money, can I get involved directly, or is this only Tito and Josh?
OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
11–20 of 22 posts
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#12Instead of pledging money, can I get involved directly, or is this only Tito and Josh?
Hey silverstorm --
Awesome, shoot me an email and let us know your interests -- titojankowski at gmail.com
Tito
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#13While this sounds like a fun project, if you want a cheap PCR machine, why not buy a used one for a few hundred bucks? Getting molecular biology to work is going to be hard enough without trying to reinvent the wheel and re-do the relatively uninteresting, but highly optimized engineering that has gone into these machines over the last 20 years.
Over and above cost, an open PCR machine design may enable these machines to develop in unexpected ways.
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#14Hey, since you're reading Josh, I have a question: isn't the harder part of this securing the chemicals / reagents / disposables / tools to actually perform PCR? I thought you needed special (patent covered) reagents, 96/whatever well plates, seals, pipettes, etc. Sorry, I'm not trying to be disrespectful of your efforts, but it seems that even if I had a PCR machine, I'd still be a long way from doing PCR on anything interesting.
In any case, best of luck. I used to work on software that controlled MJ Research thermocyclers and on a light sensing / real time pcr system software. It was kind of interesting, but the companies that build these devices move slowly and charge (in my mind) way too much money. This market is ripe for disruption. (I worked on a slightly bigger, since discontinued, version of this: http://www.bio-rad.com/prd/en/US/adirect/biorad?ts=1&cmd... )
There's actually a used one of the things I worked on for sale for $14K here. Oof.
http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=402318
Also -- if you just want a plain thermocycler, here's one for $20 or so!!! (these things started at $10K new.) http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=415429
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#15Hey, since you're reading Josh, I have a question: isn't the harder part of this securing the chemicals / reagents / disposables / tools to actually perform PCR? I thought you needed special (patent covered) reagents, 96/whatever well plates, seals, pipettes, etc. Sorry, I'm not trying to be disrespectful of your efforts, but it seems that even if I had a PCR machine, I'd still be a long way from doing PCR on anythin…
The supplies and reagents you need are all readily available on the web. For basic supplies like pipettes and tubes, one of my favorite sources is http://www.bio-world.com . You'll also need a taq polymerase and primers - both of which tons of companies sell online, just search Google and look at the ads. Some companies will only ship these reagents to commercial addresses, but there's more than enough that will ship to residential.
We'll try to get more info on the site in the days to come.
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#16Gave you $8 and reblogged. http://www.thinkgene.com/openpcr-dna-amplification-for-anyon...
Btw, if anyone reading this wants to upgrade their OpenPCR setup with a nice PCR hood, I have a beautiful one for sale for $1500.
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#17Hey, since you're reading Josh, I have a question: isn't the harder part of this securing the chemicals / reagents / disposables / tools to actually perform PCR? I thought you needed special (patent covered) reagents, 96/whatever well plates, seals, pipettes, etc. Sorry, I'm not trying to be disrespectful of your efforts, but it seems that even if I had a PCR machine, I'd still be a long way from doing PCR on anythin…
The supplies and reagents you need are all readily available on the web. For basic supplies like pipettes and tubes, one of my favorite sources is http://www.bio-world.com . You'll also need a taq polymerase and primers - both of which tons of companies sell online, just search Google and look at the ads. Some companies will only ship these reagents to commercial addresses, but there's more than enough that will ship…
Hey Earl,
MJ Research, cool! I've got one of their PCR machines in my trunk, all taken apart. We used it as inspiration when we were first starting, it's got some nice design features. Keep in touch,
Tito
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#18I love this idea. Interestingly, they reference Gates and how cheap computers helped him. All those guys, Gates included, started out working on mainframes and minis that they stole time from in University labs. Probably that's what Gates-of-2030 is doing right now; making glowing mice in the basement of the University of Minnesota, or somewhere similar.
A fine point, though keep in mind though that Mini-computers were themselves sort of the PCs of the mainframe era. A story I heard, possibly apocryphal, is that Ken Olsen named DEC "digital equipment corporation" rather than , say "Digital Computer Corporation," as a way around IBMs lock on central purchasing at universities, national labs and corporations for any "computer" purchases.
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
The supplies and reagents you need are all readily available on the web. For basic supplies like pipettes and tubes, one of my favorite sources is http://www.bio-world.com . You'll also need a taq polymerase and primers - both of which tons of companies sell online, just search Google and look at the ads. Some companies will only ship these reagents to commercial addresses, but there's more than enough that will ship…
Hey Earl, MJ Research, cool! I've got one of their PCR machines in my trunk, all taken apart. We used it as inspiration when we were first starting, it's got some nice design features. Keep in touch, Tito
I remember when MJ Research thermocyclers were the bargain option. That was nearly 20 years ago.
Re: OpenPCR - open source biotech on your desktop
#20You don't even need a PCR machine. All you really need are three water baths at the appropriate temperatures!
You kids don't know how good you have it. Why back in my day...
...you had to purify your own DNA polymerase and then add more of it at each cycle because a thermostable version hasd't been discovered yet?